Smoker&#39;s table protector



Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNITE -sures EDWARD JAMES GRINWALD, or SE TLE,WASHINGTON I SMOKERS TABLE rRoT Ec'roR Application filed March 18, 1929.Serial No: 347,931.

This invention relates to a card table ac cessory, and has reference inparticular to a certain form of tray, or plate, that may be reniovablyapplied to the edge of a table top and which will serve in the capacityof a protective device on which cigarettes or cigars may be placed inorder that the table top, or table cover, will not be burned orOtherwise damaged thereby.

Explanatory to the invention, it will be stated here that card roomoperators report that there is an exceedingly great amount of damagedone daily to card table covers and also to the tables by the carelesslaying thereon of lighted cigarettes and cigars, and it has been foundto' be quite impractical to equip such tables with the usual type of ashtray, or cigarette holder, or any other device having an upstanding rimbecause they are too easily upset by being caught by the sleeves orcuffs of players and also they interfere with dealing and handling thecards.

In view of the above, it has been the object of thisinvention to providea form of protective tray on which cigarettes or cigars may be laid, andwhich is of a construction that cannot be interfered with by the cuff orsleeve of a player in dealing or handling the cards, and which has ayieldable attaching clip whereby it will be held securely and flatlyagainst the tabletop to serve not only as a receptacle for cigarettesand cigars but also as a clamp for holding the table cover in place.

It is also an object of the invention to so construct the device thatwhen it is applied to the table edge, cards cannot be projected beneathit.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device of the abovecharacter that is well adapted for the displaying thereon of advertisingmatter.

Other objects of the invention reside in the various details ofconstruction and in applied to a table in accordance with the.

present invention.

, Figure 2 is a sectional view, showing the device as applied to atabletop, particularly illustrating the holding effects of the attachingclip. I

.Figure3 is a sectional View taken on the line 33 in Figure .2, showingthe beaded edges of the plate. Figure 4; is a perspective view of an alternative construction in which the attach ing clip is provided with aclamping screw.

Referring more in detail to the drawings' 1 designates what may be plateprovided along its opposite side edges with upwardly formed beads 2 -2which are made of just sufficient height to prevent a cigarette or cigarthatis placed on the plate fromrolling off and which have their outeredges bent downwardly and slightly below the plane of the bottom side ofthe plate; preferably, the inner edge of the plate is cut squarely offand the outer edge is curved substantially in accordance with thecurvature of the edge of the ordinary circular card table to whichthedeviee is to be applied. If it should be desired, beads could also beprovided across the ends of the plate, but this is not thought to benecessary.

Extending from the outer end of the plate and centrally thereof, is anattaching clip 4 which, preferably, is integral with the plate 1 and is*bent downwardly therefrom and a flat, metal.

then curved inwardly. and upwardly, as

shown best in Figure 2, so as to directly underlie the plate and, inthis way, serve in opposed relation to the plate as a means of clampingthe device to the edge of the table top. This attaching clip isyieldable and automatically adjusts itself to table tops of differentthicknesses to securely but releasably grip the table.

As is best shown in Figure 2, a table cover, as designated at 6, isusually applied over the table top 7 and then the present device isapplied to the table edge in such manner that it will serve in theadditional capacity as a means for holding the cover in place. Whenapplied, the plate 1 flatly overlies the table top while the clip 4extends downwardly at the edge and then inwardly and upwardly and bearsyieldably against the under side of the table top, thereby holding theedge of the table cover securely clamped beneath it. The pressure of theclip causes the plate 1 to press tightly against the table and therebycauses the outer edges of the heads 2 to embed themselves in the tablecover so that cards cannot be projected beneath the plate, nor can theycatch on its edges because of their rounded form. This is due to thefact that the edges of the side portions of the plate, which form thebeads, extend somewhat below the plane of the bottom surface of theplate and are pressed tightly against the top of the table. This insuresthat nothing can catch on the remove or upset it. a

In Figure 4, I have illustrated an alterna tive construction, in whichthe clip is equipped with a clamping screw 10 that is threaded upwardlythrough the end portion thereof and is adjustable by a wing head 11 atits outer end. This construction makes possible the application of thedevice to supports of variousthicknesses.

Assuming the device to be so constructed, it is readily apparent thatthere is no danger of cigarettes or cigars, when placed in the tray,burning the table or table cover, and thus a great expense inreplacement, especially of table covers, is avoided. Not only is thedevice of great service for holding the cigarettes or cigars, but itsfiat upper surface also serves as an effective and desirable medium onwhich advertising matter may be displayed.

While the device has been described as being designed especially forcard tables, it is readily apparent that it is not limited to thisparticular use but may be applied just as well to various supports, suchas the arm of a chair or edge of a cabinet. Devices of this charactermay be made in various sizes and shapes and the type or character of theclip used to attach it may vary in accordance with the particularsupport to which the device is to he applied.

Having "hus described my invention, what plate to I claim as new thereinand desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

A device of the character described, comprising a flat plate applicableto a table top adjacent the edge thereof and provided along its oppositeside edges with upwardly formed beads, the outer edges of which projectslightly below the plane of the bottom of the plate; the outer edge ofthe plate being shaped to conform to the curvature of the edge of thetable to which it is applied and having an attaching clip extendingtherefrom and bent downwardly and inwardly and adapted to yieldinglyengage the underside of the table.

Signed at Seattle, Washington, this 26th day of January, 1929.

EDWARD JAMES GRINWALD.

